Unloader for firearm magazines

Abstract

An unloader (10) for firearm magazines (40) has a plate hingedly coupled to a back of the magazine so the plate can be moved against or tilted away from the magazine. The plate has a projecting plunger at its top that can push a round out of the top of the magazine when the plate is moved against the magazine's back. The plate is hingedly coupled to the magazine by holding it with a thumb or finger or by hinging it to an adapter that is coupled to the magazine. A user holds the adapter or the plate against the magazine and moves the plate between open and closed positions. In the closed position the plunger forces the top round forward and out from the lips of the magazine and in the open position the plunger allows the magazine's follower to push a second round into the top position.

We claim: 
     
       1. In an unloader for unloading rounds from a firearm magazine having a housing with a rounds-feeding opening and an internal spring pushing for urging said rounds in said magazine toward said rounds-feeding opening, the improvement comprising:
 a pusher plate comprising a body portion with a plunger projecting therefrom, 
 said body portion of said pusher plate having a bottom end and a top end and a pair of opposite side edges extending between said bottom and top ends, said bottom end being pivotable on a back wall of said magazine so that said body portion of said plate can be tilted or pivoted with respect to said back wall, against or away from said back wall, said top end being manually graspable by a user, 
 said body portion of said pusher plate having a pair of side walls which extend out perpendicularly from said opposite side edges of said body portion of said plate, said side walls being spaced to sandwich and extend only partially over said housing of said magazine, such that when said body portion of said plate is pivoted against said housing of said magazine, said side walls of said plate will cover only a part said housing of said magazine, so that said side walls extend over only around part of said magazine and do not surround or encircle said magazine, 
 said plunger being rigidly and non-pivotably attached to and projecting from a top portion of said body portion of said pusher plate adjacent said top end, said plunger being shaped and dimensioned so that when said top end of said body portion of said plate is tilted away from said housing of said magazine on the pivot of said bottom end of said body portion of said pusher plate, said plunger will be clear of any round in said rounds-feeding opening of said magazine, and when said body portion of said plate is tilted against said housing of said magazine on the pivot of said bottom end of body portion of said plate, said plunger will push any round in said rounds-feeding opening of said magazine out of said rounds-feeding opening of said magazine, 
 said unloader being free of any springs and extending around only part of said housing of said magazine so that said unloader does not surround said magazine. 
 
     
     
       2. The unloader of  claim 1  wherein said pair of side walls extend from a bottom part of said body portion of said pusher plate, said side walls having a predetermined spacing greater than said housing of said magazine between said side walls so as to center said pusher plate on said magazine. 
     
     
       3. The unloader of  claim 1  wherein said magazine has a catch pin projecting from said back side thereof and said pusher plate has a hole therein for receiving said catch pin when said pusher plate is placed against said back wall. 
     
     
       4. The unloader of  claim 1 , further including an adapter plate that can be positioned on said magazine, said adapter plate and said body portion of said pusher plate each having a bottom end, said bottom ends of said adapter plate and said body portion of said pusher plate having mating hinge parts so that, when said adapter plate is positioned on said magazine and said mating hinge part of said pusher plate is mated with said hinge part of said adapter plate, said pusher plate can be pivoted on said adapter plate so as to be clear of any round in said rounds-feeding opening of said magazine when said pusher plate is tilted away from said adapter plate and said magazine, and said plunger plate will push any round in said rounds-feeding opening of said magazine out of said rounds-feeding opening of said magazine when said pusher plate is tilted against said adapter plate and close to magazine. 
     
     
       5. The unloader of  claim 4  wherein said adapter plate has a pair of side walls extending from opposite sides of said bottom end thereof, one of said pusher and adapter plates having a pivot hole in each side wall thereof and the other of said plates having a pintle projecting from each side wall thereof, said pintles being positioned to mate with said respective holes so that said pusher plate can pivot with respect to said adapter plate. 
     
     
       6. The unloader of  claim 5  wherein said side walls of said adapter plate are dimensioned to fit over two opposing sides of said magazine when said adapter plate is slid onto said magazine. 
     
     
       7. The unloader of  claim 4  wherein said pusher plate has a bifurcated bottom part comprising two legs with a space between said two legs such that when said pusher plate and said adapter plate are mated, a finger or thumb of a predetermined size can be placed in said space between said two legs and against said adapter plate to hold said adapter plate against said magazine. 
     
     
       8. The unloader of  claim 4  wherein said pusher plate has a bifurcated bottom part comprising two legs with a space between said two legs such that when said pusher plate and said adapter plate are mated, a finger or thumb of a predetermined size can be placed in said space between said two legs and against said adapter plate to hold said adapter plate against said magazine, a top portion of said pusher plate has a top end spaced above said plunger so that said top portion of said pusher plate has a grasping area above said plunger, said adapter plate has a pair of side walls extending therefrom, said side walls having a predetermined spacing so that when said side walls of said adapter plate are slid onto said magazine, said adapter will be centered on said magazine, said magazine has a catch pin projecting from a side thereof, and said adapter plate has a hole therein for receiving said catch pin when said adapter plate is placed against said magazine. 
     
     
       9. The unloader of  claim 1  wherein said top portion of said pusher plate has a top end spaced above said plunger so that said top portion of said pusher plate has a grasping area above said plunger. 
     
     
       10. The unloader of  claim 1  wherein said top portion of said pusher plate has a top end spaced above said plunger so that said top portion of said pusher plate has a grasping area above said plunger, said adapter plate has a pair of side walls extending therefrom, said side walls having a predetermined spacing so that when said side walls are slid onto said magazine, said adapter plate will be centered on said magazine, said magazine has a catch pin projecting from said housing thereof, and said adapter plate has a hole therein for receiving said catch pin when said pusher plate is placed against said housing. 
     
     
       11. In an unloader for unloading rounds from a firearm magazine having a housing with a rounds-feeding opening and an internal spring and follower for urging said rounds in said magazine toward said rounds-feeding opening, the improvement comprising:
 a pusher plate comprising body portion having a bottom end and a plunger projecting from a top portion of said body portion distal from said bottom end, 
 said plunger being rigidly and non-pivotably attached to and projecting from said top portion of said body portion of said pusher plate adjacent said top end, 
 an adapter plate that can be attached to said back wall of said magazine, 
 said adapter plate having a body portion and a pair of side walls which extend perpendicularly from said opposite side edges of said body portion, said side walls being spaced to sandwich and extend only partially over said housing of said magazine, such that when said body portion is pivoted against said housing of said magazine, said side walls will sandwich and extend only partially over said housing of said magazine, such that when said body portion of said adapter plate is attached to said housing of said magazine, said side walls of said adapter plate extend over only part of said magazine and do not surround or encircle said magazine, 
 said pusher plate having a pair of side walls which extend perpendicularly from said opposite side edges of said body portion of said plate, said side walls being spaced to sandwich and extend over said side walls of said pusher plate and only partially over said housing of said magazine, so that said side walls extends over only part of said housing of said magazine and do not surround or encircle said magazine, 
 said adapter plate and said pusher plate each having mating hinge parts on the bottom ends thereof so that, when said adapter plate is attached to said magazine and said mating hinge part of said pusher plate is mated with said hinge part of said adapter plate, said pusher plate can be pivoted on said adapter plate away from said magazine so said plunger will be clear of any round in said rounds-feeding opening of said magazine, and when said pusher plate is tilted adjacent to said magazine, and said plunger will push any round in said rounds-feeding opening of said magazine out of said rounds-feeding opening of said magazine, 
 said unloader being free of any springs and said unloader extending around only part of said housing of said magazine so that said unloader does not surround said magazine. 
 
     
     
       12. The unloader of  claim 11  wherein said magazine has a catch pin projecting from a side thereof and said adapter plate has a hole therein for receiving said catch pin when said adapter plate is placed against said back wall. 
     
     
       13. The unloader of  claim 11  wherein one of said pusher plate and said adapter plate having a pivot hole in each side wall thereof and the other of said plates having a pintle projecting from each side wall thereon therefrom, said pintles being positioned to mate with said respective holes so that said pusher plate can pivot with respect to said adapter plate. 
     
     
       14. The unloader of  claim 11  wherein said bottom portion of said pusher plate has a bifurcated bottom part comprising two legs with a space between said two legs such that when said pusher plate and said adapter plate are mated, a finger or thumb of a predetermined size can be placed in said space between said two legs and against said adapter plate to hold said adapter plate against said magazine. 
     
     
       15. The unloader of  claim 11  wherein said body portion of said pusher plate has a bifurcated bottom part comprising two legs with a space between said two legs such that when said pusher plate and said adapter plate are mated, a finger or thumb of a predetermined size can be placed in said space between said two legs and against said adapter plate to hold said adapter plate against a magazine, a top portion of said pusher plate has a top end spaced above said plunger so that said top portion of said pusher plate has a grasping area above said plunger, and wherein said magazine housing has a catch pin projecting from said back side thereof, and said adapter plate has a hole therein for receiving said catch pin when said adapter plate is placed against said magazine housing. 
     
     
       16. The unloader of  claim 11  wherein said top portion of said pusher plate has a top end spaced above said plunger so that said top portion of said pusher plate has a grasping area above said plunger. 
     
     
       17. In an unloader for unloading rounds from a firearm magazine comprising a housing having two opposite ends, a rounds-feeding end and a bottom opposite end, two pairs of oppositely facing sides connecting said ends, including back and front sides and two lateral sides connecting said back and front sides, a catch pin projecting from said back side, and an internal spring pushing a follower inside said magazine for urging said rounds toward said rounds-feeding end of said magazine, the improvement comprising:
 a pusher comprising a plate having a bottom end and a plunger projecting from a top portion of said plate, 
 said plunger being rigidly and non-pivotably attached to and projecting from said top portion of said pusher plate adjacent said top end, 
 an adapter plate that can be attached to said back side of said magazine, 
 said adapter plate and said pusher plate each having mating hinge parts on the bottom ends thereof so that, when said adapter plate is attached to said back side of said magazine and said hinge part of said pusher plate is mated with said hinge part of said adapter plate, said pusher plate can be pivoted on said adapter plate with respect to said adapter plate and said back side of said magazine so that said plunger will be clear of any round in said rounds-feeding end of said magazine when said pusher plate is tilted away from said back wall of said magazine, and said plunger will push any round in said rounds-feeding end of said magazine out of said rounds-feeding end of said magazine when said pusher plate is tilted against said back wall of said magazine, 
 said pusher plate having (a) a bifurcated bottom part comprising two legs with a space between said two legs such that when said pusher plate and said adapter plate are mated, a finger or thumb of a predetermined size can be placed in said space between said two legs and against said adapter plate to hold said adapter plate against a magazine, and (b) a top portion having a top end spaced above said plunger so that said top portion of said pusher plate has a grasping area above said plunger, 
 said adapter plate having a pair of side walls extending therefrom, said side walls having a predetermined spacing substantially equal to the spacing between said lateral sides of said magazine so that when said side walls are slid onto said magazine, said adapter will be centered on said magazine, 
 said side walls of said adapter plate being sized to cover only a part said housing of said magazine, so that said side walls extend over only around part of said magazine and do not surround or encircle said magazine, 
 said adapter plate also having a hole therein for receiving said catch pin of said magazine when said pusher plate is placed against said back side of said magazine, 
 said pusher plate also having a pair of side walls extending from opposite sides thereof, one of said pusher and adapter plates having a pivot hole in each side wall thereof and the other of said plates having a pintle projecting from each side wall thereon therefrom, said pintles being positioned to mate with said respective holes so that said pusher plate can pivot with respect to said adapter plate, 
 side walls of said pusher plate being sized to extend over said side walls of said adapter plate and only part of said side walls of said housing of said magazine, so that said pusher plate extends over only around part of said housing of said magazine and does not surround or encircle said magazine, 
 said unloader being free of any springs and said unloader extending around only part of said housing of said magazine so that said unloader does not surround said magazine.